Slotless aerators



United States Patent 3,173,614 SLOTLESS AERATORS Elie P. Aghnides, 46 W. 54th St., New York, N.Y. Filed May 16, 1961, Ser. No. 110,546 2 Claims. (Cl. 239429) This invention relates to aerators and more particularly to the type in which there are no slots in the sidewall, but rather air enters the water outlet end of the device.

In the commercial aerators of the prior art, it was customary to have slots in the sidewalls through which air entered the device. In my prior application, Serial No. 135,645, filed December 29, 1949, entitled Fluid Mixing Device," I illustrated aerators in which air entered at the outlet end of the device rather than through slots in the sidewall. The description of those particular aerators was cancelled before that application issue-d into my U.S. Patent No. 2,811,340 granted October 29, 1957, however the subject matter thereof was carried forward into my application, Serial No. 560,299, filed January 20, 1956, entitled Fluid Mixing Device, now U.S. Patent No. 2,998,927 granted September 5, 1961. The present application illustrates certain improvements upon the devices of the earlier applications aforesaid.

The main object of the present invention is to simplify and lower the cost of the aerator and particularly that portion of the structure thereof which enables air to enter the outlet end of the device. Other objects and advantages will appear as this description proceeds.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, I employ the usual aerator structure of an upstream diaphragm directing high velocity streamlets of water upon superposed screens, in the presence of air. This causes the high velocity streamlets of water to be finely broken up and mixed with the air to produce a coherent jet of water laden with numerous small bubbles. The resulting stream has nonsplas-h characteristics, improved taste, and other wellknown advantages. The present invention is characterized by having the superposed screens of larger diameter than the outgoing stream of water, and by positioning the holes in the upstream diaphragm so that high velocity streamlets of water from the upstream diaphragm strike only a limited area of the downstream screen; thus leaving a limited area of those screens which is not flooded with water and through which air may enter to the mixing space above the screens. While I have shown and described plural superposed mixing surfaces, it is possible to carry out the invention less etficiently by the use of only one screen.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of one form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of another form of the invention.

In FIGURE 1, the aerator employs a casing having an internal ledge 11 at its lower end. Resting upon the ledge 11 are two frames 12, each carrying a screen 13. An inverted cup 14 having holes 15 in its horizontal side rests upon the upper frame 12. A second perforated upstream disc 16 has an enlarged washer-portion 17 around its periphery and this latter portion rests upon the cup 14. When the aerator is installed upon the faucet, the downstream end of the faucet is tightly pressed against the "ice washer-portion 17, which portion is pressed against member 14 which is in turn pressed against frames 12, the lower one of which is in turn pressed against ledge 11, whereby the internal parts 12, 14 and 17 are held rigidly within the casing 10.

The horizontal side of the cup 14 has a large number of holes 15 concentrated near the center thereof so that the water from these holes is directed upon only the cen tral portion of the screens 13, thus leaving a substantial area adjacent to periphery of the screens for air to enter the mixing space above each screen 13.

In the device in FIGURE 2, the casing 20 has an internal ledge 21 supporting a screen 22 and an internal ledge 23 supporting a screen 24. An upstream disc 25 constructed in accordance with the teachings of my prior copending application Serial No. 640,859, filed February 18, 1957, entitled Water Aerator, now US. Patent No. 2,998,929 granted September 5, 1961, rests upon the uppermost screen 24. As in the case of FIGURE 1, the holes in the upstream disc 25 are limited to the central portion thereof, whereby limited areas of screens 22 and 24 adjacent their respective peripheries are not flooded. This allows air to pass from the downstream end of the device to the mixing space above each screen.

Since the upstream disc 25 is constructed according to said US. Patent No. 2,998,929, it provides partial aeration for the water, and the srreens provide additional aeration.

This application is related to my prio-r copending application Serial No. 625,448, filed November 30, 1956, entitled Improved Fluid Mixing Devices, now US. Patent No. 2,998,928, granted September 5, 1961; and to my prior copending application Serial No. 84,616 filed January 24, 1961, entitled Fluid Mixing Device, which is a continuation of my prior application Serial No. 351,907, filed April 29, 1953, entitled Fluid Mixing Devices.

While there have been described above what are presently believed to be the preferred forms of the invention, variations thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art and all such changes and variations that fall within the spirit of the invention are intended to be covered by the generic terms in the appended claims, which are variably worded to that end.

I claim to have invented:

1. An aerator comprising a conduit having screen means across the conduit, jet forming and water directing means positioned upstream of said screen means for directing water at high velocity directly upon a central contiguous limited area of said screen means in such manner that another outer limited portion of said screen means remains unflooded to provide passage for air flow counter to the water flow and to induce air flow through said outer limited portion of said screen means which remains unflooded, said screen means and said jet forming means being spaced to provide a mixing chamber means acting on the water to form jet streamlet having a velocity and direction such that a flow of ambient air counter to said flow of water is induced through said outer limited portion of said screen means and into said mixing chamber, said jet forming and water directing means comprising direotive orifice means aimed at that portion of the central contiguous area which is closely adjacent the outer limited portion to thus avoid flooding of said outer limited portion, said jet forming and water directing means having a water inlet adapted to be connected to a source of water under fices are parallel and closely adjacent to each other therepressure, said conduit being imperforate except for said by'directing' substantially parallel'streamlets at said cenwater inlet and for the openings in the screen means, said, tral contiguous area;

directive orifice means defining a plurality of orifices 7 aimed in non-diverging directions at points on said screen a 5 References Cited in the file of this patent means each of which is closely adjacent to the next and v UNITED STATES PATENTS said screen means comprising a mesh means that joins the individual strearnlets from said'orifices together and mixes 7 2651546 f f p 8, 1953 the Water with air discharging a coherent stream laden 2,744,738 Hl f M y 1956 with numerous small bubbles. 10 2,811,340 7 Aghmdes Oct. 29, 1957 2. An aerator as defined in claim 1 in which said ori- 213261399 Mali 8 

1. AN AERATOR COMPRISING A CONDUIT HAVING SCREEN MEANS ACROSS THE CONDUIT, JET FORMING AND WATRER DIRECTING MEANS POSITIONED UPSTREAM OF SAID SCREEN MEANS FOR DIRECTING WATER AT HIGH VELOCITY DIRECTLY UPON A CENTRAL CONTIGUOUS LIMITED AREA OF SAID SCREEN MEANS IN SUCH MANNER THAT ANOTHER OUTER LIMITED PORTION OF SAID SCREEN MEANS REMAINS UNFLOODED TO PROVIDE PASSAGE FOR AIR FLOW COUNTER TO THE WATER FLOW AND TO INDUCE AIR FLOW THROUGH SAID OUTER LIMITED PORTION OF SAID SCREEN MEANS WHICH REMAINS UNFLOODED, SAID SCREEN MEANS AND SAID JET FORMING MEANS BEING SPACED TO PROVIDE A MIXING CHAMBER MEANS ACTING ON THE WATER TO FORM JET STREAMLETS HAVING A VELOCITY AND DIRECTION SUCH THAT A FLOW OF AMBIENT AIR COUNTER TO SAID FLOW OF WATER IS INDUCED THROUGH SAID OUTER LIMITED PORTION OF SAID SCREEN MEANS AND INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, SAID JET FORMING AND WATER DIRECTING MEANS COMPRISING DIRECTIVE ORIFICE MEANS AIMED AT THAT PORTION OF THE CENTRAL CONTIGUOUS AREA WHICH IS CLOSELY ADJACENT THE OUTER LIMITED PORTION TO THUS AVOID FLOODING OF SAID OUTER LIMITED PORTION, SAID JET FORMING AND WATER DIRECTING MEANS HAVING A WATER INLET ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE, SAID CONDUIT BEING IMPERFORATE EXCEPT FOR SAID WATER INLET AND FOR THE OPENINGS IN THE SCREEN MEANS, SAID DIRECTIVE ORIFICE MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES AIMED IN NON-DIVERGING DIRECTIONS AT POINTS ON SAID SCREEN MEANS EACH OF WHICH IS CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE NEST AND SAID SCREEN MEANS COMPRISING A MESH MEANS THAT JOINS THE INDIVIDUAL STREAMLETS FROM SAID ORIFICES TOGETHER AND MIXES THE WATER WITH AIR DISCHARGING A COHERENT STREAM LADEN WITH NUMBEROUS SMALL BUBBLES. 